Offshore Wind Innovators, in close cooperation with TKI Wind op Zee, is launching the 5th Offshore Wind Innovation Challenge. The challenge for this edition comes from Dutch heavy lift and transportation specialist Mammoet who is challenging innovators to find a solution for transferring and lifting components to floating and fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines
With floating wind still being in its infancy but growing, new questions arise. For example, how are these novel constructions to be maintained? In addition, conventional wind turbines are getting bigger and are being built in large quantities. Therefore, the intensity and complexity of maintenance is going to increase.
The Innovation Challenge will focus on finding solutions for the safe and efficient transfer of objects from a floating vessel to offshore wind structures, to reduce the cost and the scheduled impact of maintenance. This will help to facilitate better and more cost-effective replacement of turbine components. The use of large (floating) installation vessels should be prevented and therefore the Challenge is looking to possible solutions to overcome this.
The challenge from Mammoet can be split into three different sub-sections:
- How do you position the barge, ship, or vessel close to the wind turbine foundation, floater, or tower?
- How do you transfer the components required for maintenance from a barge, ship or vessel onto the wind turbine structure, or floating foundation?
- How do you transfer/ lift the components towards the nacelle?
Deadline 7 January 2022
From 10 November 2021, until 7 January 2022, SME entrepreneurs can apply for this challenge. They can then present their idea or proven (complete or partial) solution during the Pitch & Ask session in January. Thereafter, until April 2nd companies can optimize their solutions, receiving feedback and collaborating with professionals of Mammoet and TKI Wind op Zee during the Bootcamp in April. The finalists will be invited to pitch their developed concept to a broad audience during the Innovation Challenge Finals in May 2022.
The participants will be able to create brand awareness and visibility of their innovations in the offshore wind community. In addition, they will get expert coaching and the chance of collaborating with Mammoet and its subsidiary company Conbit who has made significant steps towards creating a working lifting system that attaches directly to the WTG nacelle, to replace the major components of the wind turbine.
Offshore Wind Innovation Challenge
The Offshore Wind Innovation Challenge is an initiative of the community of Offshore Wind Innovators (powered by TKI Wind op Zee). The goal of the community is to give insight into the business and innovation ecosystem of the industry and to offer practical solutions to the business challenges that pioneering companies face. The goal of Offshore Wind Innovators is to connect SMEs with leading companies in the industry to improve market implementation of innovations in the industry.See news on previous editions.
